Sanitary dental floss holder



Oct. 5, 1948. J. E. DEMBENSKI 2,450,635

y SANITARY DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER i Filedreb. 25, 194e IHYENTR ATTUSNEY Patented Oct. 5,

UNITED STATES TENT A"9131.17 .ICE

sANrrrmYiDEN'rAL FLossHonDEn '.Ioseph.E.fDembenski, Nanticoke, 2a. Appneatitn'rebruaryza, ie'eefserialno. 649,497

fe-zciaim. rc1. 13a-92.1)

This invention relates to 'new and useful immovements in a dental floss dispenser.

More specifically the present invention proposes the construction of a dental `floss-dispenser characterized by havinga shaft from z-wlh'ichnew dental `floss is unwound and upon vwhich used dental floss is rewound, the dispenser 'further having mechanism for Veffecting this wind-ing in response to turning of the shaft.

For further comprehension -of the invention, and of the objects :and advantages thereof, `reference will 'be had tothe following description and accompanying drawingaand to theappended claims in `which the various novel'fea'tures of 4the invention are more particularly` set forth.

In the accompanying drawing fforming Aa material part ofthis disclosure:

Fig. 1 is va perspective view'of a ldispenser constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is asection'on the litre-S-efFigA.

Fig.4 isa section on the linee-4 -offFig.i3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryenlarged view of'a portion of the dispenser.

Fig. 6 is a perspective VvieW-'of--a portion/'otra dispenser eonstructedin accordance .witha modification ofv this invention.

Fig. 7 is a side view-of a portion of =a Vdis penser constructed in accordance 'with y-a `further modification of this invention.

The dispenser, according 'to this '-invention, comprises a case I'IJ which has "a top `cover '-"II connected to the rest of the case by `screws f2 so that the cover II can be removed ffor'renewa'l :2 the wall ZIOnthe-Side oppositetheknobland the gear-24 cooperates ywith the knob23 toiprevent axial movement of the shaft. f

shaft 126 journalled in .thefrear wall 22 '.an'diin a boss `2'2'1 .secured lto the -vside wall 1'28 -of .the chamherfIB. Anlinclined `cam wheelr2r'9 .i'slsecured to .this shaft .26.. The l.loess `217 `also 'has a 'square guide i3d in .linewith a square guideSI va boss 32 also secured to the wall :28. Awsquare bar .'33 is slidab-ly :mounted in the f'guides A3i] Vand 3| 'and has Va jaw '34 coactingwth fthe cam 'wheel 29 so thatv rotation of .the cam wheel effects Yreciprocation-.of the bar.

The dentalloss I3, when new, vis lwound. :on the` shaft 21 adjacent the wall 20, passes through an veyelet 35 secured to the -bottom wall 36 fof the cham-ber I 5, then rearwardly throu'ghanoth-er eyelet ina leaf lspringt? fsecuredto thebott-orn wall 35, then .forwardiythrough one orifice i3 and-along-.the voutside of one lug 'I6 throughfits orifice I-8,vacross the space l'Lthrough the'orifice I.8 `of lthe .other lug I6, back along ithe outer lug of dental floss in the dispenser. The l'floss '-is 3'5 indicated by the numeral lf3. "The man'p'ort'ion of the case is rectangularin crossrsectien (Fig-fel but the front end tapers so-that itnarrowsfsufciently to `permit its vdisposition in `afpersons mouth. This front end 'may he 4covered/ley fa 40- cap I4, shown in Fig. 3, the cap bein'gremoved when the dispenser is to be used.

The dispenser contains a rectangular'chaniber I5 and forwardly thereof the dispenserfcomprises two tapered lugs I6 having a space lII there- 45 between. The ends of `the lugs'h'a've align-ed orifices I8 extending 'transversely of the dispenser and the 'sides Vhave orifices I9 vfopening through the front wa11`20of the chamber "I5:

A shaft 2l is 'disposed'in thechamb'er lan'd 50 A gear-214 -is secured on the shaft'jnst in'sidenf 55 ing groove 29am IB ,and through the .orice I9 of :the other lug, then A.througl'ran eyelet 38 en the Aside wail 28, then through an eyelet 39 on the rear endiofethe bar 3.3, and finally is 4rewound on the rear end of .the shaftll.

The .portion of the ,ossbetween the lugs ri., thatfisgin thespace I'1,.is the portion used. Once used, KVthe knob .-23 is .turned to-present newness in the space l1. 'This is continued until eventually all the ossisrused whereupon .thecover I'Iis removed ,and the used floss removed from the shaft 2| and newoss put thereon.

'Each'time the knob"'2'3 is turned, someoss is turned ofi' .of the heaped!) of new Y'floss .on lthe forward' end ofthe shaft 2.! and some-of the used ossiswoundto forma heap'l on'the reark end of the shaft V21. The 4'o'ss is so Vwound r(inthe heap 41D) y'that it unwinds therefrom and rewinds to formitheheap 4I yatithef-same rate.

Astheknob 23 'isturned'the shaft 26 "is turned, rotating the inclined Vvcam "wheel 2'9 Yand 'thus reciprocatingthe bar 33 back andforth, the'eyelet 39alsoreciproeating and .acting as a guidefor Winding`the `floss neatlyV along the `shaft 'to' form the heap *-I. The spring 31'maintains'tightness-l ofthe ossduring its use.l

yIn Fig. lfiftlrre construction is v'similar "except the Ioar 33 terminates -ina tongue-3W 'disposed inin a-grooveZiia in the-cam wheel :29" mountedfion the fshaft '52S'. "'In'Fig. 7 `thes'hait 36" hasan elongated wheel 29" 4vformed with -a lspiral revers engaged bythe inwardly directed end 34" of the reciprocating bar 33". Grooves, such as the groove 29er, are generally known in the art and are arranged so that when the end 34 of the bar 33" approaches the end of the wheel 29" while moving in one direction, the groove will function to reverse the direction of movement of the bar 33". In other respects these dispensers are like the first described dispenser. All dispensers are sanitary, easily constructed and maintained, and attractive in appearance. They obviate the necessity to dispose of the fioss as it is used, the dispenser storing the used floss until it is completely used up.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to b e understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I iclaim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A dental oss dispenser comprising a casing having a chamber defined by a front wall, a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall having an opening, a cover detachably closing said opening, two spaced lugs projecting forwardly from said front wall and having aligned transverse orifices at their front end and orifices in their sides opening into said chamber through said front wall, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally in said chamber and journalled in said fron-t and rear walls and projecting through said rear wall, a knob on said shaft exteriorly of said rear wall for turning said shaft, new dental fioss wound on a portion of said shaft adjacent one end thereof and used dental floss wound on said shaft adjacent the other end thereof, means for guiding a web of said floss between said new and used portions through said orifices and across said space between said lugs, and means for guiding the rewinding of said floss back on the used floss portion of said shaft so as to evenly wind the used floss on said used floss portion of the shaft.

2. A den-tal floss dispenser comprising a casing having a chamber defined by a front wail, a rear wall, side Walls, a bottom wall and a top wall having an opening, a cover detachably closing said opening, two spaced lugs projecting forwardly from said front wall and having aligned transverse orifices at their front `endvand orifices in their sides opening into said chamber through said front wall, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally in said chamber and journalled in said front and rear walls and projecting through said rear wall, a knob on said shaft exteriorly of said rear wall for turning said shaft, new dental floss wound on a portion of said shaft adjacent one end thereof, means for guiding said floss through said orifices and across said space between said lugs, means for winding said floss back on another portionof said shaft as it is unwound from said first mentioned portion, s-aid winding meansincluding a gear on said shaft, a second shaft, a gear on said second shaft meshed with said first gear, a cam wheel disposed on said second shaft obliquely thereof, `a bar extending longitudinally of said chamber, means mounting said bar for reciprocation, said bar having `a part -coacting with said cam wheel for rotation thereby, and means on said bar through which said floss extends@ Y 3. A dental floss dispenser comprising ya casing having a chamber defined by a front wall, a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall and a top wail having an opening, a -cover detach'ably closing said opening, two spaced lugs projecting forwardly from said front wall and having aligned transverse orifices at their front end and orifices in their sides opening into said chamber through said front wall, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally in said chamber and jofurnalled in `mid front and rear walls and projecting through said rear wall, a knob on said shaft exteriorly of said rear wall for turning sai-d shaft, new dental floss wound on a portion of said shaft adjacent one end thereof, means for guiding said floss through said orifices and across said space between said lugs, means for winding said iioss back on another portion of said shaft as it is unwound from said first mentioned portion, said winding means including a gear on said shaft, a second shaft, a gear on said second shaft meshed with said first gear, a cam wheel disposed on said sec-ond shaft obliquely thereof, a bar extending longitudinally of said chamber, means mounting said bar for reciprocation, said bar having a part coa-cting with said cam wheel for rotation thereby, and means on said bar through which said floss extends, said first mentioned guiding means includ- -ing eyelets secured to said side and bottom walls for guiding said floss, one of saideyelets being mounted on a spring so as to take up slack lin said floss during rotation of said shafts.

4. A dental floss dispenser comprising a casing having a chamber defined by a front wall, a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall having an opening, a cover detachably closing said opening, two spaced lugs projecting forward- 1y from said front wall and having aligned transverse orifices at their front end and orifices in their sides opening into said chamber through said front wall, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally in said chamber and journalled in said front and rear walls and projecting through said rear wall, a knob on said shaft exteriorly of said rear wall for turning said shaft, new dental fioss wound on a portion of said shaft adjacent one end thereof, means for guiding said floss through said orices and across said space between said lugs, and means for winding said iioss back on another portion of said shaft as it is unwound from said rst mentioned portion, said winding means including ia gearon said shaft, a second shaft, a gear on said secon-d shaft meshed with said first gear, `a cam wheel disposed on said second shaft obliquely thereof, -a bar extending longitudinally of said chamber, means mounting said bar for reciprocation, said bar having a part coa-cting with said cam wheel for rotation thereby, and means on said bar through which said floss extends, said bar part being a jaw in which said cam wheel rotates. Y

5. A den-tal floss dispenser comprising a cas-ing having -a chamber defined by 'a front Wall, 4a rear wall, side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall having an opening, a cover detachably 'closing said opening, two spaced lugs projecting forwardly from said front wall and having aligned transverse orifices at their front end and 'orifices in their sides `opening into said chamber through said front wall, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally in said chamber and journalled in said front and rear walls and projecting through said rear wall, a knob on said shaft exteriorly of said rear wall for turning said shaft, new dental ii-oss wound on a portion of said shaft-adjacent one.

end thereof, means for guiding said floss through said orifices and across said space between said lugs, means for Winding said floss back on another .portion of said shaft as it is unwound from said rst mentioned portion, said Winding means including a gear on said shaft, a second shaft, a gear on said second shaft meshed with said rst gear, a cam wheel disposed on said second shaft ofbliquely thereof, a bar extending longitudinally of said chamber, means mounting said bar for reciprocation, said bar having a part cdacting with said cam Wheel for rotation thereby, and means on said bar through which said oss eX- tends, said bar part being a Itongue disposed in a groove in the periphery of said cam Wheel.

6. A dental floss dispenser Icompri-sing a 'casing having a Ichamber dened b-y a front Wall, a rear Wall, side `Walls, a bott-om Wall and ya top wall having an opening, a cover detachably closing said opening, two spaced lug-s .projecting forwardly `from -said front wall and having aligned transverse orifices at rtheir front end and orifices in their sides opening into said chamber through said front wall, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally in said chamber and journalled in said front and rear Wall-s and projecting through said rear Wall, a knob on said shaft eXteri-orly of said rear wall for turning said shaft, new dental oss mounted on said secon-d shaft, a bar extending longitudinally of said chamber, means mounting said bar for reciprocation,V said bar having av ton-gue ooacting with said spiral reversing groove, and imeans on said bar through Whi-dh said floss extends.

JOSEPH E. DEMBEINSKI;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,098,610 Bluhm Nov. 9, 1937 2,109,417 Elcan Feb. 22, 1938 2,185,309 Pierce Jan. 2, 1940 2,381,530 Dem-benski Aug. 7, 1945 

